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Super Bowl XLVIII: Baltimore Ravens v. Seattle Seahawks

8/8/2013

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By Mike Corasaniti

Game: Super Bowl XLVIII
Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date: February 2, 2014
Teams: Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks

It is hard to tell which is better for the Baltimore Ravens: their Super Bowl XLVII victory or the fact that nobody expects them to repeat this season.

Between the ever-present debate around the stature of Joe Flaaco’s game and the loss of players like Anquan Boldin, there are a lot of teams ahead of Baltimore on people’s lists. That’s not to say though that there aren’t any expectations.

For starters, no quarterback is going to complain when he’s got Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones to throw to.

Second it’s highly doubtful Baltimore will see any trouble from Cleveland or even Pittsburgh this year. But, the Cincinnati Bengals could give Baltimore a run for their money in the AFC North. The Ravens are still seemingly a near lock to make the playoffs, but Andy Dalton and Co. has looked good enough to relegate Baltimore to a Wild Card spot as they push for their first division title since 2009.

A Baltimore team making it back to the Super Bowl won’t just be happy to be there. A team without sparks like Boldin or the retired Ray Lewis will be looking to prove they’re more than just a team who got a big play against Denver and a surprise win over the Patriots.

They’re not concerned with proving that their quarterback is an elite so much as they’re looking to prove their caliber as a team, which is also still in some question even as they enter 2013 as defending champs.

In a rather different light, the Seattle Seahawks have a load of expectations behind them as well. Not even considering the expected continuing blossoming of QB Russell Wilson, their defense should be near the top in almost every defensive category in 2013.

Their division should provide even bigger headaches than the Ravens will face however, as their reward for surviving the intriguing cases of both the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams will be the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. As the two best teams in possibly the best division of 2013, the matchups between Seattle and San Francisco will be must sees, seeing two young quarterbacks against two high-ranked defenses.

If Seattle can get past their main divisional rival though, setting their sights on their first Super Bowl trip since 2005 will not be out of their reach.

Highlighted by cornerback Richard Sherman looking to further assert his claim that he is the best at his position in the league, Seattle will have no shortage of explosive players leading them.

Players like Sherman will be especially key for a team looking for an extra spark to get over the next step that they were unable to conquer when they lost in last year’s divisional round. Add on the Percy Harvin situation, who return date is still unclear after requiring a recent injury led to hip surgery, and there will be a much heavier reliance on the players already there who can make the big plays.

But Seattle’s offensive game is not too heavily reliant on the pass game, as Wilson’s passing numbers were nothing too impressive, especially compared to the league’s elites.

The team relied a lot more on the run game and the running threat the Wilson provided, finishing in the Top 3 in rush yards per game last season.

The Ravens conversely had a mediocre-at-best rush defense, which showed through Kaepernick’s big Super Bowl plays against their defense.

How Baltimore gets there

A return trip to the Super Bowl will look similar to last year’s for the Ravens, most likely facing the Broncos as their biggest test. Even considering all of the injuries and drama surrounding the Patriots this offseason, it’s not unlikely to think that they may once again be standing in the way.

But what will be the most crucial for another deep playoff run is how well their secondary can perform. Especially against a Denver offense with so many weapon at Peyton Manning’s disposal, the pass defense will be the make or break for this team.

How Seattle gets there

It’s a coin flip as to who wins the NFC West, but it won’t really matter once Seattle gets to the playoffs.

No matter if the Seahawks enter the playoffs as a Wild Card or with a bye, they will have to get past the 49ers and Green Bay Packers in some way or another. And the defining factors for both matchups be: Can the Seahawks get to the quarterback? Though this team is much better than it was a year ago, the answer to those questions is again a coin flip.

Prediction

Comparing Baltimore’s defense to Seattle’s, which finished in The top 10 in rush and pass categories last season, and it’s a safe pick.

The Ravens will provide big plays and experience to keep the game close through halftime. But Seattle running it down Baltimore’s throat will take a toll on the Ravens defense, and two third quarter rushing touchdowns will put the game out of reach for the Seahawks.

Seattle 24-13
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Super Bowl XLVIII: Denver Broncos v. Washington Redskins

7/10/2013

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Season's Over Editor-In-Chief Mike Corasaniti discusses the upcoming seasons for the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins and what it would take for the two to meet in Super Bowl XLVIII with staff writer Michael Lepoutre.

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Super Bowl XLVIII: New England Patriots v. San Francisco 49ers

6/26/2013

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By Mike Corasaniti

Game: Super Bowl XLVIII
Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date: February 2, 2014
Teams: New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers

After nearly staging an impressive comeback after the Ravens cramped up during the Superdome blackout (or something like that), the San Francisco 49ers are looking to be the favorite to once again emerge from the NFC. And this offseason has only been making them look better.

They traded Alex Smith (hopefully stifling anymore quarterback drama), traded for receiver Anquan Boldin (from the team that beat them in the Super Bowl no less), and extended contracts for such key core players like Justin Smith Anthony Davis.

Across the country, another team is looking fine enough to continue its boring, decade-long string of dominance with their second trip to the Super Bowl in three years.

Though they are experiencing some strange offseason drama with Tebow, Hernandez, and some other injuries, New England is the master at handling ridiculous situations (Tebow in New England coverage is nothing compared to Tebow in New York, and Hernandez was cut basically seconds after his arrest on June 26).

So is this the year Tom Brady finally reclaims the glory of his young dynasty days? (Remember, it will soon be ten years since Brady has won anything.) Or does a fully-loaded San Fran squad have something else in mind?

How San Francisco gets there

The 49ers could win 13 games in 2013, so long as they don’t get stuck in another tie, but they could also win 9 and make it into the playoffs as a Wild Card. That’s how good the Seahawks will be and how unpredictable the Rams are.

Either way, there are no signs showing that Kaepernick isn’t only going to improve on the force that he proved he could be last season when games were on the line. Just like last season, Kaepernick will get the team to the playoffs, and the depth of the offense (pending they find another receiver or that whole Vernon Davis idea works out) and defense gets them back to the Super Bowl.

How New England gets there

Nobody doubts that the Patriots will win the AFC East again this year.

Nobody doubts that the Patriots will return to at least the AFC Championship game again this year.

The doubt comes with whether they will show up for the deciding game against the Broncos, Ravens, or even Texans when another shot at the title is on the line. It’s a coin flip at this point, but they have certainly showed year in and year out that they have the tools (and Tom Brady) to do so.

The Matchup

I’m going to write Tom Brady’s name again here and say that Tom Brady is going to outplay Colin Kaepernick, to the surprise of nobody. Kaepernick will be much better, or at least much more consistent, than last year. But not even a more developed Kap will be able to take on New England successfully in just his second full-year of play.

But I do think that the 49ers are going to be a very different team than they were in last year’s Super Bowl.

They are going to be more experienced, more poised, and more retooled to the point where even if Kaepernick succumbs to the voodoo doll Alex Smith has already built for him out in Kansas City, it is extremely hard to see such a team losing the big one two years in a row.

Prediction

San Francisco 30-21
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NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers v. Seattle Seahawks

1/5/2013

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An NFC Championship matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers is in line if both teams win out, setting up a rematch of one of the most infamous endings in NFL history.

By Mike Corasaniti

If you’re sick of seeing the picture to your left, then you’re human. Or, you might just be a Packer.

The Sept. 24 ending to the Monday Night Football thriller is not only a shrill reminder of one of the most embarrassing lockouts in all of sports, but also the play that sent Green Bay to their first regular season second loss since 2010. A little long winded, but they don’t like losing.

About 14 weeks later, both teams are two wins away (easier said than done) from a late season matchup with a championship berth on the line. And for the Packers especially, there’s probably nobody else outside of Chicago they’d like to pound than the team that crushed their hearts by the hands of some replacement referees.

How the Packers get there

Green Bay handles the Vikings with ease later today and then beats San Francisco in overtime next weekend. Aaron Rodgers has been playing too well and the Packers are too motivated to bow out early this season, especially after their 2012 early exit.

They gave up way too many yards against Adrian Peterson last week, and between San Francisco and Minnesota, stopping Adrian Peterson could be their toughest challenge in getting to the conference championship. But as long as they keep Purple Jesus to around 100 yards, Green Bay has more than the right stuff to cruise by the Vikings at home and then upset the 49ers.

How the Seahawks get there

The Russell Wilson-Robert Griffin III matchup may be the most exciting one on this seasons slate of divisional matchups, as both players have the opportunity to put up equally as exciting games. Seattle is simply just the better team though, and emotion on the side of the Redskins won’t be enough to get past the Seattle defense.

Getting by Atlanta will obviously be the bigger challenge, but it’s no secret that Atlanta may be the softest No. 1 seed of all time entering the playoffs. Behind Seattle’s stellar run game up against the Falcons mediocre run defense (No. 21 in the league against the run), it could easily be another disappointing exit for Matt Ryan and Atlanta.

Matchup

The toughest challenge for Seattle this postseason will be playing on the road. They’re potent at CenturyLink Field, winning all 8 games at home this season, but they haven’t won an away postseason game since the early 1980s.

This is huge for Green Bay who, historically, is one of the toughest teams in league to see at home in the playoffs. The matchup will lie between Aaron Rodgers and the Seattle pass defense, No. 6 in the league entering this weekends games.

Seattle has a solid opportunity in front of them entering the playoffs, but in this what if matchup, a Green Bay Packers team at home coming off a win over San Francisco would be too much for any team in this field to handle.

Green Bay 23-10


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Super Bowl: Washington Redskins v. Indianapolis Colts

1/3/2013

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A lot less stands in the way than you might think of a Super Bowl rookie fiesta between Robert Griffin III’s Washington Redskins (10-6) and Andrew Luck’s Indianapolis Colts (11-5).

By Mike Corasaniti

If the NFL has proven anything in recent memory, it’s that anything can happen once the chains in the playoffs start moving.

Take the New York Giants as the league’s most shining example of playoff parity. Two Super Bowl seasons since 2007 now, during which they never won more than ten games and were never higher than the No. 4 seed entering the playoffs

If that’s a great sign for anyone, it’s the Colts and the Redskins.

Both teams have tough roads ahead of them, the toughest stops along the way for the Colts being Denver (who they would most likely see in the divisional round) and for the Redskins being San Francisco (who they would most likely see for the conference championship). But both teams have proved that they are strong enough to beat any team thrown their way at this point (especially the Colt’s first round matchup with Baltimore).

If their season-long success stories are enough to carry these teams through one or two solid upsets each, it’s not impossible to imagine a Washington-Indy matchup come kickoff in New Orleans.

How the Redskins get there

The Redskins run to a division crown was no accident, but they also didn’t get there without a heaping plate of luck. If the Skins plan on making a deep run, their secondary has to stop playing like, well, their secondary[1].

If the likes of DeAngelo Hall and London Fletcher can step up on defense however, all Washington really needs to hope for is a healthy quarterback. Kirk Cousins proved that he is a worthy backup worthy of a starting position somewhere else in 2013, but Griffin’s absence in the lineup takes away the unpredictability and excitement that made Washington’s offense so potent in the second half of the season.

Riding steady defense, Griffin, and Alfred Morris and the league’s strongest run game, the Redskins could be Super.

How the Colts get there

Provided that the Indy offensive line gives Luck enough time to make plays, the rookie quarterback has shown that he can pick apart the best defenses when the game is on the line.

Their rush defense is weak though, very weak, and a strong rusher[2] could quickly end any semblance of a deep run for the Colts. Their pass rush should however be enough to carry them past a hot offense, as Dwight Freeney still hasn’t seemed to lose too much spring from his step.

The matchup

If Griffin takes too hard of a hit at any point in the playoffs, this scenario would be completely different. The Redskins have proved that they aren’t just a one-trick pony, but the team belongs nowhere near a deep playoff run discussion without RG3.

If healthy though, there’s nothing saying the Robert Griffin III doesn’t have what it takes to lead Washington past Indianapolis.

It would not be surprising at all to see a high scoring game out of this matchup, as both defenses have shown their inconsistencies while both offenses have shown the ability to dominate a scoreboard.

If Luck is hot, the Colts could put up 30. But if Griffin is healthy, then it’s Washington’s game to win. Or Lose.

Washington 30-17[3]


[1] The Redskins finished the season ranked No. 30 in opposing passing yards, allowing an average of 281.9 yards per game.
[2] Such as Ray Rice in Indy’s first matchup.
[3] The same score from the team’s August 25 preseason contest.


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